Charter commission calls it a wrap

On a 9-0 vote, the Barnstable Charter Commission approved its final report May 5, but there was slightly less unanimity in the reports recommending the document.

TBP

Minority report laments lack of elected executive

On a 9-0 vote, the Barnstable Charter Commission approved its final report May 5, but there was slightly less unanimity in the reports recommending the document.

Eight of the commission members signed on to the required letter explaining the significant changes recommended in the report. The lone commission member on the minority report is Greg Milne, who calls the final report “at best an incremental and token advance.”

Milne joined the commission about eight months into its work after successfully challenging the town’s ruling that the current charter prevented him from serving in two elective offices. That decision by Barnstable Superior Court Judge Robert Kane is referenced in Milne’s minority report, and is a source of disappointment.

“Unfortunately, Charter Commissioners chose a conservative, subordinate role to town government by deferring to the town’s legal department, employees of the town manager, thus squandering their independent authority. They didn’t fulfill their legally defined role,” Milne wrote.

Milne was on the losing side of all votes suggesting an elected chief executive, which he preferred not to call “mayor.”

“There are several proposed changes which would improve our government. Sadly however, the failure to squarely tackle the question of electing the chief executive represents a fatal flaw at the core of this governing document,” the minority report reads. Milne advocates defeat of the report, which could then allow for subsequent changes through other mechanisms.

The remaining charter commission members primarily focused on improving the existing document by increasing the ability of voters to elect more than 1/13th of the council and direct election of the town council president.”

“We have responded to what we heard as the wishes of the citizens: accountability, responsiveness, clarity, transparency, and greater voter participation. We believe that the new Charter will make our government more responsive, encourage involvement from the voters, and give the citizens greater representation on the Town Council,” the majority report reads.

The report was submitted to both the town council and the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Office on the May 6 deadline. The town council must now arrange for it to be printed and distributed to all registered voters.

The council is required to make that happen at least two weeks prior to the Nov. 3 town election, but is expected to act sooner.

The final report, along with both the majority and minority reports, are available for download at download.barnstablepatriot.com.